UM Football Recruiting - by WM Wolverine

[AlabamAlum]

The conventional wisdom has always been build your lines first. You do that, the elite RBs, QBs, and WRs will follow.

A good line makes an average RB look like a star.

[whodean]

I said this early in the week when I commented here what a laugher all this Najee Harris shit was. Not talking (if that is indeed how it worked v. selective talking to create the circumstances his people wanted to create), Harris found a unique way to fuck with fans and both programs that appeared to be at the top of his list.



Frankly, I think it was an innovative way for Harris and his people to get all the attention they wanted and ultimately got. For those that bought in to the Harris to M bullshit, I feel sorry for them ...... well, actually I don't. Those people were pawns in the Harris plan.

You sure seen cynical on this. Can't a 18 yo kid be truly undecided?


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[AlabamAlum]

He truly was undecided. He liked M a lot.

Us having two recent Heisman RBs, and a proven road for the RB1 from Bama to be a first rounder in the NFL, and the o-line we will have, sealed the deal.

[Wellington_beefhouser]

You sure seen cynical on this. Can't a 18 yo kid be truly undecided?


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No. Just playing. But really....he can't be undecided.

Anywho, Michigan is still in good shape in terms of backfield talent.

I was looking at the 2018 player rankings and it doesn't look good for M right off the bat. The state of MI is shallow in terms of quality players. Where is Jim gonna go? I better put on my best recruiting hat and start tweeting the shit out of players...

[Hannibal]

Good year to have a small class then.

[Rocky Bleier]

Najee Harris screwed with Michigan. Last we heard after the game Saturday was he was going home to have meniscus surgery and make a decision. Next thing you know he's in Alabama. Would love to know what bull he told Michigan coaches to make them think he was coming. Satan loved it, no doubt. He's still butt hurt over the satellite camps.

[AlabamAlum]

No.

[iam416]

A version of the Harris recruiting saga: https://www.seccountry.com/alabama/a...cks-commitment

[Hannibal]

Recruiting update on mgoblog.

Brian pegs our chances at hanging onto Herbert at about 30%.

[Rocky Bleier]

Looks like we'll finish weak after a great December.

[Hannibal]

Pretty much, yup. The chatter about Collins is really ominous too, although WR isn't a position of need.

[AlabamAlum]

The negative recruiting was something I had heard before in this. Meh. It happens. Doesn't really work, usually. It just gives the kids who are gonna flip a reason they can use with their friends as to why.

I remember when Phil Fulmer allegedly told a t fruit considering Tallahassee that they had a small airport and huge bugs. Heh.

[Hannibal]

I'm glad that we're doing it. Throughout the Carr and RichRod eras we were constantly complaining about it. I don't agree that it doesn't work though. I believe that we have lost guys to it over the years.

[AlabamAlum]

I don't think it works. Like I said, it's just the excuse the kids use when they flip. That's why Urban and Saban don't do it.

Kids come because of relationships, facilities, development, exposure, and a few other things. Not because Coach X of Poly Tech ran down Coach Y at State U.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Najee Harris screwed with Michigan. Last we heard after the game Saturday was he was going home to have meniscus surgery and make a decision. Next thing you know he's in Alabama. Would love to know what bull he told Michigan coaches to make them think he was coming. Satan loved it, no doubt. He's still butt hurt over the satellite camps.

I wouldn't go as far as to call it a screw job. OTH, I'm not buying the story from an SEC guy (talent's link) that M staff bad mouthed Alabama or gave out misinformation. I just don't see that as something anyone on JH's staff or especially JH would do. M sells itself well enough without having to trash talk other programs. I do think that kind of thing is rampant when SEC programs or programs lower down in conference pecking orders compete and have a shot at top recruits. It's part of the recruiting culture at certain places and levels and has been for a long time.

Cynical and protective of M? Sure and I don't apologize for it. What I do think about the "saga" is that the Harris Camp worked it and as I said previously, in a unique, attention getting way, as Harris said, I wanted to do it my way and he did.

I'm skeptical of motives from these kids who, the moment that they are recognized as talents in football, especially coming from disadvantaged back grounds, are groomed by adults who probably have a different set of motives than the kids they are grooming. I've seen it in every sport, especially the Olympic sports.

The constant praise as they are growing up makes some of them develop a whole range of entitled behaviors. Im not saying this happend to Harris but it's possible, even probable given his status as the #1 HS football recruit. So, there's no telling what the M football staff was told by his camp but, if the saga, as it is described in the link, is accurate, at the very least, the Harris camp more than likely and probably intentionally provided misleading information to M staffers.

Frankly, I think the press made it worse. That's not on Harris or his people. It's on the sports press. I just have a problem with young men not being up front. If that kind of thing is fostered in any way, it simply leads to dishonest behaviors carrying on into their adult lives. When you are offered a opportunity by an adult in a position of authority to provide a straight forward answer and don't or to tell them one thing and then do another is justification for swift reprimand and meaningful consequences. Doesn't seem like he got that from his camp or even possibly his Mom who seems to have had some substantial influence on his final decision.